Chapter 8

• Katherine’s POV
• The room felt suffocating the moment Jason stepped out into the hallway. I couldn’t quite calm the pounding of my heart or the heat still radiating from my cheeks after what had just happened. My thoughts were a whirlwind, but the muffled sounds outside the door quickly pulled me back to the present.
• Raised voices filtered through the thin walls. My stomach sank as I recognized Jason's deep tone, clipped and angry. Michael's voice followed, smooth yet laced with venom.
• A sharp thud reverberated through the air, unmistakably the sound of a fist connecting with flesh.
• I shot out of bed, the soreness in my body forgotten. "Oh no," I whispered, rushing to the door and throwing it open.
• The sight made my breath hitch. Jason's towel was barely hanging onto his waist, his face flushed with rage, and a red mark bloomed on his cheek. Opposite him, Michael stood with his fist clenched, his usually composed face twisted with fury.
• “You’re an arrogant prick, Jason!” Michael spat.
• Jason wiped his mouth, a dark smirk curling his lips. “And you’re a jealous little wannabe who will never measure up,” he growled, swinging a fist and landing a blow square on Michael's jaw.
• “Stop it!” I screamed, my voice shaking as I stepped into the hallway. “What are you two doing?”
• Both men froze mid-motion, their gazes snapping to me. Jason’s chest heaved, his fists still clenched, while Michael wiped at the corner of his mouth, a faint trace of blood smeared there.
• “You’re my mates!” I yelled, tears brimming in my eyes. “You don’t need to fight for me. This isn’t… this isn’t how it’s supposed to be!”
• Jason’s tense stance softened slightly. “Katherine…” He started toward me, his tone quieter now, almost apologetic.
• I shook my head, raising a hand to stop him. “You don’t get to say sorry while throwing punches at each other. None of you do! You’re supposed to figure this out, not act like… like…” My voice cracked. “Animals!”
• Michael stepped back, his anger ebbing as guilt flickered across his face.
• Jason let out a heavy sigh, running a hand through his damp red hair. “There’s nothing to figure out, Katherine. You’re mine.”
• The possessiveness in his tone sent a shiver through me—not entirely unpleasant but still unsettling.
• Michael scoffed. “Yours? Is that what you think? Newsflash, Jason. She’s our mate, not just yours. You don’t get to claim her like some prize.”
• “I’m not going to share her with you,” Jason snarled, his alpha dominance rippling in the air.
• “Enough!” My voice cracked as I shouted. The tears I’d been holding back spilled over. “I’m not ready to choose, okay? I can’t just pick one of you. It’s not fair!”
• James, who had been quietly watching from the side, stepped forward, his expression uncharacteristically serious. “Katherine,” he began, his voice soft yet firm, “Jason’s right. This situation… it’s complicated. But you do have to make a decision. We can’t keep pretending this will work otherwise.”
• Michael nodded reluctantly, his jaw tight. “You’ll have to choose, Katherine. For all of our sakes.”
• Their words felt like daggers. My chest ached as I looked between them—Jason’s fiery, determined gaze, Michael’s cool, steady expression, and James’s rare seriousness.
• Tears streamed freely down my face now. “You’re all impossible,” I choked out, turning and slamming the door behind me.
• I pressed my back against it, sliding to the floor as sobs wracked my body. How could they expect me to choose? They were my mates, all of them. And yet, they were tearing me apart, making me feel like I had to split my soul just to make them happy.
• From the other side of the door, I heard Jason’s voice, quieter now. “Katherine…”
• “Leave me alone!” I shouted, my voice hoarse from crying. “Just… just go. Please.”
• For a moment, silence reigned. Then, the faint sound of footsteps retreating echoed down the hall.
• I buried my face in my hands, overwhelmed and heartbroken. How was I supposed to decide? How could I choose between them when all I wanted was for them to stop fighting and see me—not as a prize or a burden, but as a person trying to figure this mess out?
• James’ POV
• My brothers can’t go two seconds without fighting like idiots. I leaned against the wall in the corridor, watching the chaos unfold with a mixture of amusement and irritation. Jason and Michael at each other’s throats again. It was like watching the past play out in real time—only this time, it wasn’t Dad or pack politics. It was Katherine.
• For Jason, it must feel like the past is happening all over again. Only this time, he’s not sharing Dad with Michael; he’s sharing his mate. The thought of Jason having to relinquish even a fraction of control must be eating him alive.
• And me?
• I felt like I was going mad.
• I lost my true mate years ago in that damn car wreck. For so long, I thought I’d never heal, that the Moon Goddess had cursed me to live out the rest of my life without the bond that makes us whole. And now, against all odds, she’s given me a second chance. A second chance with her. Katherine.
• I won’t let my brothers waste it.
• Katherine’s scream startled me out of my thoughts, and I instinctively pushed off the wall, ready to intervene. But she was already storming back into her room, her tears cutting through the tension like a blade.
• When the door slammed shut, I exhaled sharply, running a hand through my hair. “Nice job, idiots,” I muttered under my breath as Jason glared at me.
• “What’s your problem?” Jason barked, his alpha dominance flaring up.
• “You, mostly.” I smirked, but it didn’t reach my eyes. “And Michael, too. Seriously, the two of you are acting like a couple of hormonal teenagers. No wonder she slammed the door in your faces.”
• Michael scoffed but didn’t say anything, wiping the blood from his lip as he avoided Jason’s glare.
• “Enough,” Jason growled. “We’re taking this to my office. Now.”
• He headed to hs room to get dressed while Michael and I waited in his office. This very office was once mine too. But the events of the last three years pushed me to a more care free life and caused me to abandon my responsibilities at head Alpha. My brother handled the weight better, doing the job for the both of us. Deep down, I could tell he resented me.
• …
• The tension in Jason’s office was suffocating. Jason paced behind his desk, his hands clenched into fists. Michael stood near the window, his arms crossed as he glared out at the pack lands. I slouched in one of the chairs, twirling a whiskey glass I’d found on Jason’s shelf. It was empty, but that didn’t stop me from pretending.
• Jason stopped pacing, his eyes narrowing at me. “What the hell are you doing sober, James?”
• The question hit harder than it should have, but I kept my face neutral. “Maybe I’m trying something new. You know, being responsible. Unlike you two.”
• Jason snorted, leaning against his desk. “Responsible? That’s rich, coming from you. Last I checked, you’ve spent the last three years drowning yourself in booze and women.”
• “And yet, here I am, sober, and trying to help fix this mess. What’s your excuse, Jason? Afraid of sharing?”
• Michael stepped in before Jason could retort. “Both of you need to grow up. I’m the only one here who seems to have any sense of what’s at stake.” He turned his sharp gaze on Jason. “She’s not just your mate, Jason. She’s mine, too. And James’s. You don’t get to act like you’re the only one who matters in this equation.”
• Jason’s jaw tightened, but Michael pressed on. “I don’t trust either of you to handle this properly. That’s why I’m moving back into the pack house. Someone needs to make sure Katherine doesn’t end up a casualty of your egos.”
• Jason’s eyes blazed. “You’re not moving in. This is my pack, Michael.”
• “Funny, considering you’ve been acting more like a territorial child than an Alpha,” Michael shot back, his voice cold.
• The argument escalated, voices overlapping as tempers flared. I stayed silent, watching them with detached amusement. They didn’t realize they were proving my point: neither of them was thinking clearly. Katherine stirred something within each one of us.
• Then, a knock at the door cut through the tension.
• Jason’s beta, Derrick, stepped in, his expression tense but professional. “Alpha, there are people here. They’re asking for Katherine.”
• The room went still.
• Jason’s eyes narrowed. “Who?”
• The beta hesitated. “They didn’t give their names, but they’re insistent. Said it was urgent.”
• I sat up straighter, my mind racing. Michael frowned, his posture rigid. Jason’s jaw clenched as he exchanged a look with his beta.
• “Bring them in,” Jason said finally, his voice like steel.
• Derrick hesitated, looking back at us. “Sorry Alpha, but you’ll have to come see this for yourself.’’
• My brothers and I looked at each other. Jason got up, Michael and I followed him. We were each dreading to meet these people.
• Who was here to see Katherine?